CEIR (The European Association For The Taps and Valves Industry), which brings together national associations from 9 countries, 6 of which are EU member states, held its 2024 Annual Meeting and General Assembly on 6–8 June at the Xanadu Island Hotel in Bodrum, Türkiye.
Founded in 1959, CEIR has been operating with 11 member associations and 10 direct member companies. POMSAD, which has been a member of CEIR since 2003, is currently the only association representing Turkish tap and valve manufacturers at the European level. Since 2022, the Presidency of CEIR has been held by Ms. Nurdan Yücel, President of POMSAD. Türkiye has previously hosted the CEIR Annual Meetings and General Assemblies twice before, in Antalya in 2006 and Istanbul in 2011.
Hosted by POMSAD, organized with the contributions of Türkiye’nin Makinecileri and under the main sponsorship of AUMA, the event welcomed participants representing an industry with a manufacturing volume of EUR 11 billion, employing over 50,000 people, and widely recognized as a global leader in technological and commercial terms.
On 5 June, participants gathered at the Xanadu Island Hotel for a Welcome Cocktail, followed by a dinner.
The first day of the program began with the CEIR Board of Directors Meeting, the Association’s highest decision-making body. In the afternoon, the conference sessions commenced. The opening speech was delivered by CEIR President Nurdan Yücel, after which the sessions focused primarily on technical and regulatory topics.
Speakers included Mr. Orhan Ayhan (Festo) on Smart Valves, Mr. Fatih Özdemir (YASED) on the EU Cybersecurity Act, Mr. Eric Scharstuhl (NSF) on the New Drinking Water Directive, and Ms. Patricia Muñoz (FFP4EU) on PFAS Restrictions. The first day concluded with a panel session held with the participation of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hüsnü Dal, Director of the METU BİLTİR Center.
Following the conference sessions, participants traveled by boat from the hotel to the city center and gathered for the National Dinner at the Bodrum Yacht Club.
On the second day, a full-day conference program was held with the participation of expert speakers. After the opening speech delivered by Mr. Kutlu Karavelioğlu, Vice President of TİM, the program continued with roundtable discussions focusing on the future of the sector, followed by presentations by invited speakers.
Presentations were delivered by Mr. Okan Ertem (BNP Paribas) on the Economic Outlook, Ambassador Tacan İldem on Politics and Policies, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Efe Biresselioğlu (Izmir University of Economics) on Climate Change and Energy, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tarkan Gürbüz (METU) on Human and Technology. The second day concluded with an evaluation panel attended by the CEIR President and Vice Presidents.
After the meetings, participants came together for a Gala Dinner following a cocktail reception. During the Gala Dinner, Mr. Hakan Ilıcak, Deputy General Manager of AUMA, the main sponsor of the event, delivered a short welcome speech. Following her address, CEIR President Nurdan Yücel presented gifts to committee chairs who had served during her term, as well as to the invited speakers of the Annual Meeting. After the 65th Anniversary Cake of CEIR was cut, guests continued the evening with live music.
The third day of the program began with a presentation titled “IoT and Satellites” delivered by Mr. Umut Yıldız (METU). Following presentations by the committees operating within CEIR, the General Assembly session was held. During the Assembly, President Nurdan Yücel presented the activity report for the past year. The 2023 financial statement and the 2024–2025 budgets were unanimously approved by the participants, and the new Board of Directors was elected by vote.
At the end of the General Assembly, CEIR President Nurdan Yücel officially handed over the presidency, which she had held for two years, to her French colleague Mr. Pascal Vinzio, marking the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.
The 2025 CEIR Annual Meeting and General Assembly will be held in Brussels, Belgium.
